Coats for Kids campaign sees outpouring of community support

A number of Sault Ste. Marie families showed up at Delta Hotels Sault Ste. Marie Waterfront Saturday to pick out warm coats and other winter wear items donated by members of the community.   

This year’s Coats for Kids drive collected more than 800 new and gently-used winter jackets. Coordinator Anita Paci says this year probably marks the most coats ever collected during a single campaign. 

“I think people realize there’s a need - there’s a need for warm winter clothing, there’s a need for food in our community. It doesn’t go away, it actually gets bigger,” said Paci, speaking with SooToday Saturday. “What I’ve seen today is an influx of new Canadians that have come. And you know what? Bless them.”

“It takes a lot to come here, to ask for a coat that they know is gently used.”

Some people wanted to offer cash donations, but Coats for Kids isn’t a registered not-for-profit organization, so organizers couldn’t accept cash. People were advised to put the money toward the purchase of coats and winter gear instead.

“We have quite an abundance of new coats that actually came in this year,” Paci said.

This year Cintas Canada Limited’s Sault Ste Marie location collected and sanitized all coats and outerwear, a task that’s been reserved for volunteers in the past. A handful of volunteers then helped to sort, organize and distribute the donated clothing. 

Paci says that no one is being turned away from receiving coats or winter wear during Saturday’s distribution event, which was held in a ballroom at the Delta. 

“Rest assured, anybody that came today that was not vaccinated still went home with a coat for their child. So what we did is we had a plan in place for that, to make sure that they don’t leave here without winter wear for the children they have at home,” said Paci. “That was something that we had planned, because we knew that not everybody is vaccinated. I can’t turn people away.”

This year marks the 26th edition of the Coats for Kids campaign. The event was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.